February 5, 2000
I arrived at the Centennial Visitor�s Center about 10:00.  The
temperature was in the high 20s with clear skies and light winds.
I skied with one other person up to Percy Park and then down the
Middle Fork trail to the Middle Fork of the Laramie River.  I then
skied back up the Middle Fork trail to Percy Park and dug a snow pit.
I skied the Question Mark once and skied back down to the Centennial
Visitors Center.   We encountered seven skiers during the day.
I did not make a car count, because I started from the Centennial
visitors center.

I dug the snow pit on the first prominent overlook above the Question
Mark (NE1/4, NE1/4, SW1/4, NW1/4, Section 9, T15N, R78W).  Elevation was about 9650,
the slope was around 25 degrees and the orientation was due East.  I dug
the pit to a depth of six feet and did not reach the ground.  There was
a considerable sun crust on the surface of the snow and had difficulty
with breakable crust when I skied down the Question Mark.   Starting at
the surface the first 10 cm of snow was a sun baked 2 finger slab.  The
next 25 cm was 3 finger snow.  The 13 cm was another 2 finger slab.  The
next 12 cm was highly faceted fist snow (> 2mm) above a 2 cm ice layer.
Beneath the ice layer there was 42 cm slab of 1 finger snow.  Next there
was another 45 cm slab of 1 finger snow.  Below this there was a 36 cm
slab of two finger snow.  Finally there was another 1 finger slab to the
bottom of the hole.  A shovel shear test revealed shear plains at each of
the layers discussed above.  The highly faceted snow above the ice layer
appeared to particularly unstable.  I would recommend caution on steep
slopes. 

At 3:30 I received a radio call that there was an injured skier and her
friend on the Libby Creek Trail.  I rode a snowmobile with FS-14
to the patient and stabilized her ankle.  With help from the sheriffs
department we were able to get the patient and her friend to the Green Rock
trail head by 7:00.